Ties Of The Healing Blood
by ToTheJourney2014
Summary: Leo's new charge is someone completely unexpected. No one knows what to think... least of all the two of them. Hidden secrets, shared dreams, treasured memories, and forged destinies bring the two of them closer than anyone would have thought possible. Rated T.If it goes into the M category in later chapters, we will warn ahead of time. Co-written with Black Dragon Valkyrie.
1. Chapter 1

This is a story that Black Dragon Valkyrie and I are writing together. Neither of us own Charmed, but we do own the OC's you will find in the story. We hope you really enjoy our story. Don't forget to leave reviews as you read!

Marissa Bassett smiled as she walked into St. Francis Memorial Hospital on Hyde Street in San Francisco, California. There was a small bounce in her step, and she was humming to herself as she made her way into the doctor's locker room to stash her coat. She couldn't help but grin as she saw her name on the small brass plate attached to her locker: Dr. Marissa Bassett. It still gave her a thrill to even think about the fact that she was in her third and final year of residency. She had applied to become a full-time staff member in the emergency room department of St. Francis and was currently counting the days until she received the results to find out if she had been accepted, but for now she was more than happy to just spend her days doing the thing that brought her the most pleasure. She loved helping people more than anything else in the world.

He materialized in the shadows of a stock room, stepping out and blending himself into the people walking the halls of the emergency room area as he searched for his prey. He wasn't planning on attacking her here, not out in the open among so many witnesses, but he knew it would be beneficial to study her. He wanted to learn her habits and routines so that he would be able to catch her at the most opportune moment.

~C~

"It's time," Marcus stated, studying the other elders as he spoke. "She's in danger. We must send Leo to her." He waited for the others to nod their agreement before closing his eyes and signaling for Leo Wyatt to come up to see them. It was time for him to receive a new charge.

~C~

Piper Halliwell was in her kitchen, like she usually is, cooking. Only this time for a minor demon that her sister, Phoebe, had spotted on her way from work that needed to be vanquished. She was humming quietly to herself as she moved about the kitchen, adding and stirring the needed ingredients into the mixture. "All right. So just a smidgen of mandrake root and then this potion is finished," she said softly as her Whitelighter husband walked in.

"Hey, Piper," Leo paused to look at the pot she was currently stirring that had a pig's foot sticking out of the liquid. "What are you doing?"

Piper looked up. "Hmm?" Then she caught what he said. "Oh, uh, Phoebe spotted a minor demon that needed vanquishing. That's all."

Leo looked confused. "She's looking for demons? I thought she was speed dating."

This time Piper gave him a strange look, only hers looked like she'd just seen him grow three heads. "Speed dating?"

Leo was about to reply when he heard a familiar call from above.

Piper recognized the look on his face. "Go see what the Elders want. I'll ask Phoebe when she comes by to pick up her potion."

Leo nodded his thanks and then orbed up to where the Elders were waiting for him to arrive. He looked curiously at the handful who were gathered to greet him. "What's going on?" he questioned. "Is there a threat?"

"Not to the Charmed Ones, Leo," Marcus replied. "You need to go to St. Francis Memorial Hospital. There is a new charge there who is in need of your assistance. Her name is Marissa Bassett, and she's one of the emergency room physicians there."

"Is she a witch?" Leo asked.

Marcus shook his head. "She's a future Whitelighter, but she seems to be drawing the attention of both Darklighters and demons. She's in danger, Leo, and needs you. You must go. Now."

Leo seemed quite reluctant. On one hand, he was getting a new charge, and he already had his hands full with the Charmed Ones and spending time with his family. But the girl was in danger and attracting both Darklighters and demons. This was unusual, and it definitely put her in more danger. Leo nodded and orbed back down to earth to find the young woman.

~C~

Phoebe groaned again as she rubbed her temples. There was that feeling again, the overwhelming sense of pain and agony. But at least she had managed to track it down to its source. It was inside an older brick building that had seen better days. According to the sign out front, it was an orphanage. Her eyebrows knit together in confusion as she tried to figure out why the senses were coming from an orphanage of all places.

Phoebe glanced at the time on her car's clock and cursed. She really needed to pick up that potion, vanquish the demon, and get back to work. She glanced up at the building again. She could always check this out later, possibly with back up in case it was a demon trap like what Prue had faced before. She started her car up again and quickly made her way back to the manor. Hopefully Piper had the potion ready and waiting.

~C~

Marissa hurried to meet the ambulance as it pulled up to the sliding doors of the emergency room. She listened to the bolo as the paramedics rattled off the stats of the patient while they raced down the hall and into an empty examining room. She called out orders and inserted a breathing tube, resetting the broken bones and getting the patient stabilized before watching as the surgical team came to get him and transport him upstairs.

"You saved his life." He spoke quietly, leaning against the wall of the hallway as he watched Marissa come out of the examining room. "You're good."

Marissa turned around, blushing a little when she saw the handsome man with the dark hair. She shook her head. "I had a lot of help," she replied. "We work as a team around here. Everyone does their part."

"Humble, too." He smiled as he pushed himself off the wall and offered her his arm. "I like that." He tilted his head slightly to one side as he looked into her eyes. "May I buy you lunch?"

Marissa blushed just a little more. "Well, umm..." She looked away shyly. She wasn't used to being around super attractive men. Sure, she had dated in high school, but none of them had anything on this guy. She looked back up at him and gave a slight nod. "Sure. Lunch sounds great."

The man's smile widened as Marissa slipped her arm through the one he had offered her. "Excellent," he replied. He led her out of the hospital and over to where he had parked his car, opening the passenger door and helping her onto the passenger seat. He smirked to himself as he walked around the car and slid behind the wheel. He drove a few blocks to a nice restaurant and led the way inside.

Leo frowned a little as he materialized in an empty stall inside the men's room of a restaurant. He flushed the toilet and stepped out of the stall, washing his hands before going out into the main area of the restaurant. He spotted the woman that was supposed to be his newest charge, his frown deepening when he saw who she was with. He walked up to the table and cleared his throat. "Cole?" he questioned. "What the hell are you doing here?"

The demon in question looked up at the Whitelighter and raised an eyebrow. "Leo," he said, greeting his old friend. "I could ask the same about you."

Marissa wasn't paying attention at the moment to either of the men. She had been looking at the menu her attention was suddenly drawn to the interior of the restaurant. A couple of people were looking at her as they walked in. They wouldn't stop staring, and it was making her a bit embarrassed. However, she was determined to have a nice lunch date with a gorgeous gentleman. She cleared her throat and looked politely at the man who had come over to the table.

Leo tilted his head slightly, indicating Marissa. "I'm here on assignment," he replied. He crossed his arms over his chest. "Why do I get the feeling that the reason you're here is nothing good?" He lowered his voice to keep Marissa from hearing him. "I'm not going to let you hurt her, Cole."

Cole cast Leo a slight smile that was full of arrogance. "Who said I was here to hurt her?" he asked. He turned his face away from Leo and glanced toward the door. "But I can't speak for the two at the door." He spoke so only Leo heard, referring to a warlock and evil witch who were posing as a young couple.

Marissa shook her head as she watched the two of them, realizing that they apparently had a lot to discuss. She glanced at her watch and realized she would have just enough time to catch a cab and make it back to get lunch in the hospital cafeteria before she had to return to work. She cleared her throat as she stood up. "Thanks for the invitation, but I've got to get going and the two of you seem to have a lot to discuss." She turned and headed toward the door of the restaurant, walking right toward the warlock and evil witch.

Both Leo and Cole suddenly turned their full attention toward Marissa. "Wait!" Both men shouted.

Marissa turned around to face the two men, just as the witch and warlock turned and zeroed their attention in on her, instantly recognizing her as the one they wanted. She didn't noticed as the two people behind her moved closer, boxing her in and preventing her from being able to leave. She gave the men a curious look. "I'm sorry about lunch, but I really have to go," she stated in an insistent voice. There was something about the entire situation that was beginning to make her extremely uncomfortable.

"I think that's a really great idea," the witch said, speaking up from directly behind Marissa's right shoulder. She grabbed Marissa's right elbow as the warlock grabbed her left. "Let's go!" She threw her free hand up, causing a fog to descend inside the restaurant that blocked their movements from everyone inside as she and the warlock pulled Marissa outside. Once out in the open air, they turned down the alley beside the restaurant and disappeared with Marissa in tow.

Leo growled in frustration, throwing his hands up into the air. He tried to hurry through the fog only to bang his hip against the corner of an unoccupied table. "Damn it!" he shouted in frustration. He glanced back toward where Cole had been moments before, his friend now completely covered by the fog. "You've got a /lot/ of explaining to do, Cole."

Cole simply shook his head as he followed the sound of Leo's voice to where he stood. "It was all it seemed, Leo... a lunch date." He grabbed his friend's arm and shimmered outside before the fog completely cleared. They appeared just inside the alley where the warlock and witch had gone moments ago. Cole shook his head again. "I could tell there was something different about her, but what would a witch and a warlock do with her?"

"I don't know," Leo admitted. "All I was told is that she's a future Whitelighter and that there are Darklighters and..." He cleared his throat and gave Cole a pointed look. "... demons after her. The Elders didn't mention anything about warlocks or witches." He closed his eyes and blocked everything out as he concentrated on his newest charge, trying to locate her. Suddenly, without warning, he cried out and doubled over in pain. He fell to his knees as he gasped for breath. "They're hurting her!"

Cole quickly knelt down by his friend's side. "Take it easy, Leo. Breathe. Try to block out the pain, and try to get a read on her location." It was all he could offer at the moment. He had a suspicion that there may be something more going on, but he wasn't certain.

Leo shook his head, his face contorted in pain. "I can't," he managed to get out in a gasp. He tried to orb, knowing he would go directly to the young woman since all of his focus was on her, but he barely managed to conjure a few orbs around himself before they disappeared completely. He could no longer orb.

Cole sighed, doing the only thing he could think of to do despite knowing it was the last place he was wanted. He scooped Leo into his arms and shimmered with him to the conservatory of the manor. He laid Leo down on the wicker love seat and called for the sisters. "Leo needs you!"


	2. Chapter 2

The three sisters wore matching looks of shock as they walked into the conservatory and found Cole and Leo together. "Leo!" Piper yelled, dashing forward to his side and kneeling beside the wicker love seat. She glared up at Cole. "What the hell happened?"

Leo could only gasp and wheeze as his skin turned a light red color.

Cole decided he would have to do the explaining. "He was assigned a new charge, and a warlock and evil witch took her. They're torturing her, and Leo is feeling the same thing is. Only problem is, it's affecting him enough that he can't orb to go get her."

Phoebe felt like a fish gasping for air. She wasn't sure what to make of Cole's appearance or of the entire situation. She was still trying to get over Cole, and he was suddenly thrown back into her life again.

Paige was absorbing the information like a sponge. She reached down and gave Piper's shoulder a reassuring squeeze, noticing that her sister seemed to be on the verge of panicking. She could see the fight or flight instinct warring for control deep inside Piper's eyes. "We'll figure this out," she stated, making a promise to all of them. She glanced over at Phoebe. "Go get the book. We need to see if Leo and Cole can recognize who took the girl." She glanced at Leo. "Can you call for one of the Elders to come down here? We need to find out as much as we can about this girl."

Leo closed his eyes and tried to summon Marcus, who appeared inside the conservatory moments later. He bit back another scream as he curled himself into a tight ball, sweat breaking out across his forehead as he fought for control to the pain he was feeling. "What the hell are they doing to her?" he asked in a shocked whisper, thinking no one could hear him. "I've never felt a charge like this, except for Piper."

Phoebe came hurrying back down the stairs, carrying the Book of Shadows with her. She held it open and began flipping through its pages so that Cole could see them. "You're going to have to tell us who we're dealing with." She glanced over at Leo. "He's not in any condition to help us."

Marcus stared at Leo in shock. "Would someone like to explain to me what's going on?" he asked quietly.

Paige was quick to explain what Cole had told them as the divorced couple went through the Book of Shadows, trying to find who took the girl. She put her hands on her hips as she regarded Marcus and motioned toward Leo. "What the hell is doing this to him? This is NOT normal, not to this extent."

"It is if I'm the charge," Piper whispered, unable to stop the feelings of jealousy whirling inside of her. She leaned over and kissed Leo lightly on the lips, pleading with him. "Please, Leo. Concentrate. You can block whatever this is. You have to."

"We found the warlock!" Phoebe suddenly called out. She looked over at the others. "His name is Damon Brigand, but there's no mention of him working with a witch."

"And she's not in the book," Cole added. He looked down at the page on the warlock. "It seems he tracks down future Whitelighters and brings them to a slow and extremely painful death, drawing it out as long as possible. As soon as they die, he captures their soul and takes their Whitelighter powers for himself." He glanced over at Marcus. "Except for the power of orbing. That seems to be one he's never been able to capture. Could that be why he's enlisting the help of a witch?"

"It is possible," Marcus responded vaguely.

"Can't you heal Leo?" Paige questioned Marcus.

Marcus shook his head. "It's not he who is wounded. Trying to heal him would be fruitless."

"Then how do we find the witch?" Piper asked.

"Maybe we could try summoning the warlock," Phoebe spoke up. "There is a summoning spell here, and we can always interrogate or stall him in the crystal prison."

"Okay. Paige, go get the crystals. Phoebe and Cole, go get whatever we need to summon the warlock." Piper issued out the orders like all hell was about to literally break loose. She looked up at Marcus, a dangerous look in her eyes. She was unable to get rid of the jealousy she was feeling, and she didn't like it one bit. "And /you/." She stood up to stand face to face with him. "You tell me who the /hell/ this future Whitelighter is, and why the Elders are so insistent that she has to become one of Leo's charges. There's some obvious connection between them, otherwise he wouldn't be in this mess!"

The trio left the room to do what was needed to be done.

Marcus was almost afraid of being left alone with the obviously pissed off witch. He sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. It looked as if he had no other choice. "We did have our reasons for assigning Leo as her Whitelighter," he finally admitted.

"And?" the brunette snapped impatiently.

"Her name is Marissa Bassett. We chose Leo to be her Whitelighter, because he's her grandfather. We knew he would be able to help her the most."

Piper stared at Marcus in shock. "Leo has a /granddaughter/, and none of you have ever bothered to tell us about her? Why the hell not?" She bit her lip, her hands moving helplessly over Leo's body as her husband lost consciousness.

Phoebe came back into the conservatory, casting a worried glance at Leo. "We're ready to give this a try," she said. She stepped back one step at the look on her sister's face. "What's going on, Piper?" she questioned, looking from her to Marcus.

Piper grumbled as she got to her feet and walked toward Phoebe. "Oh, nothing at all. Let's go find this warlock so we can save my husband's /granddaughter/." She turned to look back at Marcus. "You stay with him until we get back!"

Phoebe felt her eyes widen at the news but said nothing about it, the look on her older sister's face telling her to keep her mouth shut. She cast the elder a look before following Piper out of the room.

Marcus sighed as he took a seat near Leo. "That wife of yours is a force to be reckoned with and obviously cares for you a great deal. I can see why you would consider falling from grace for her."

Leo didn't respond, in too much pain to really hear what the elder was saying to him. "Marissa..." he murmured, his voice full of pain as his back arching up off of the love seat he was stretched out on. "Marissa..."

~C~

Marissa screamed, unable to stop herself, as another needle was slid into her body. Strange devices were flickering around her as her blood was slowly gathered into waiting vials from the needles sticking out of her major veins. All she could see besides the devices was stone walls and ceiling. She had no idea where she was or how she had gotten there. "Please," she whispered, her tone pleading. "Let me go..."

The sorcerer shook his head. "Can't do that. You're destined to do too much good. That must be stopped."

"But not before we get your blood," the witch added. "I'll need all of your blood to be able to complete my rituals to counteract the events you have already set into motion."

The sorcerer snorted. "If you count what's to come a chain of events." Then a slight smirk passed over his face. "How's your other little project doing?"

The witch matched his smirk. "Pain and agony are rolling off the boy in waves, but his powers are growing. Once he reaches maturity, his powers are as good as ours. Then nothing can stop us. Nothing!" She let out a laugh that made Marissa's skin crawl.

Marissa tried to remain conscious, not wanting to miss anything either of her captors said. She had no intention of remaining their captive for one second longer than absolutely necessary, determined to find a way to escape. She frowned as she felt herself growing more and more weak as her blood was slowly drained, the wires attached to her head giving readouts on the nearby devices through the long probes that were shoved deep into the her brain. Her vision blurred as the room grew darker, her head rolling to one side. She let out a gasp of shock as she caught sight of three women watching her intently from behind the shelter of a large boulder.

"What are they /doing/ to her?" Phoebe asked as she and her sisters studied the situation from their positions behind the large boulder. Her face was filled with horror as she looked at her sisters.

"It looks like they're draining her blood," Paige replied, making sure to keep her voice quiet. She shuddered in response. "What could they possibly want with her blood?"

"Most likely the usual," Piper stated, guessing quietly, " taking over the Underworld and everything else." She frowned as her eyebrows pulled together. "But why do the want the blood of a future Whitelighter so badly?"

Marissa stared at the three women, her eyes silently begging them to help her. Her breathing began to quicken as her pain increased and her vision dimmed. Before she realized what was happening, a bright white light suddenly blinding her. She looked around in confusion as she suddenly found herself on her own bed in her apartment with no idea how she had gotten there.

Phoebe gasped, grabbing Paige's and Piper's hands while the two demons were distracted. "She /orbed/!" She squeezed Paige's hand. "Get us out of here!"


	3. Chapter 3

Paige quickly orbed the three of them out of the cavern, the sounds of the angry screams from the evil witch and warlock echoing around them. "Where the hell did she go?" she asked as the three of them re-materialized in the sun room.

Leo was attempting to push himself up from the wicker sofa when the three of them appeared. He was extremely pale and sweating, his breathing erratic. "Have... to get... to..." he muttered, shaking from head to foot. He could feel Marissa now that she was no longer in the Underworld.

Marissa tried to push herself up from the bed, but she was too weak. She fell onto the floor and lost consciousness.

The pain Leo had been feeling began to fade as Marissa lost consciousness. He sucked in a deep breath as he realized that he could, filling his lungs completely and smoothly. He felt Piper rush to his side and tried to concentrate on everything he needed to. He had to get to Marissa.

Piper pushed Leo back down onto the edge of the couch, gently running her hand through his sweat drenched hair to push it back from his face. "Are you okay? What's going on?" She studied his eyes as she questioned him, trying to read how much pain he was still in.

Leo shook his head. "I need to go. I have to find Marissa. She's still in danger." He sighed, giving Piper a gentle kiss. He gave her a tight, pain-filled, smile before orbing away. He reappeared next to Marissa on her bedroom floor and held his hands, palms down, over her to heal her. Almost immediately, the familiar golden glow started on his palms and shined down on Marissa's wounds to heal them from the inside out. It was several long, dragging, minutes before her wounds were completely healed and color began to return to her skin. His hands stopped glowing, and he gently cupped Marissa's face between the palms of his hands. "Marissa?" he asked hesitantly, waiting for her to open her eyes so he knew she was all right.

Marissa groaned softly as she slowly opened her eyes. She frowned as she felt someone close to her, not yet focusing. "Who...?" She groaned again, barely suppressing a scream as she felt the hands on her face. "Get off of me!" she shouted. She tried to push the man away and get to her feet at the same time, her heart beating frantically in her chest.

Leo quickly removed his hands from her face but grabbed one of her hands. "Marissa!" he shouted to get her attention. "Calm down! I'm not going to hurt you." He spoke in a calmer voice, not wanting to frighten his granddaughter any more than she already was.

Marissa stared at the stranger, still trying to pull away from him. "How the hell did you get in here?" she questioned as she tried to get free. "I'm going to call the police!"

"The same way you did," Leo answered truthfully. "I orbed."

Marissa stared at the man in shock. "Orbed?" she questioned. "I have no idea what you're talking about." She managed to free herself from his grip and got quickly to her feet, walking swiftly over to the phone that was on top of her dresser. "I'm calling the police."

Leo stood up and sighed, growling a little in frustration about having a new charge who knew nothing about the supernatural... especially when it turned out to be his own granddaughter. He hadn't even realized that Lilian was pregnant when he had gone off to the war. He frowned as he looked at her. "I'm not here to hurt you," he repeated, trying to get her to understand. "I'm here to help you."

"I don't need any help," Marissa retorted as she started dialing the number for the local police station.

Leo sighed again but didn't bother to try to stop her. He had recognized the voice that answered and breathed a little easier, knowing he wouldn't have to try to get out of being arrested when it would be Darryl Morris coming to the apartment. He waited until she hung the phone up before he spoke again. "My name is Leo Wyatt," he stated. "I'm a... guide... for people like you."

Marissa frowned at the name. There was something about it that seemed familiar. She shook her head, not wanting to think about it as she moved into the kitchen to get a knife to protect herself while keeping an eye on the intruder. "Guide?" she asked. "You're a /guide/ for nursing students? Do you work for the university?"

Leo shook his head. "Not quite. I help guide and teach future White Lighters and good witches." He figured he might as well start telling her, knowing he couldn't lie to her. He looked over at the door as someone knocked on it.

Marissa breathed a sigh of relief, hurrying toward the door while keeping the stranger in her line of sight. She opened the door and almost collapsed into the police detective's arms. "Thank goodness! He's in here..." She led the way over toward the stranger. "Please make him leave!"

Darryl stepped into the apartment, his eyes widening when he saw Leo. "Leo?" he asked. "What are you doing here?"

Marissa's eyes widened with fright. "/You're/ with /him/?!" She started backing away from the two of them, toward the front door.

Leo sighed. "She's my newest charge," he explained to Darryl, "but she doesn't know anything. She's already been attacked more than once, but she thinks I'm a burglar or something."

Darryl couldn't help but chuckle at that. "That's one I haven't heart yet." He laughed again when Leo rolled his eyes. The detective turned to Marissa. "Leo's a good man who would never harm a soul, and he means what he says about trying to help you." He sighed as he caught the look on the young woman's face. "You really can trust him."

Marissa shook her head. "What he says doesn't make any sense. He's talking nonsense about orbing and White Lighters and witches. He's crazy!"

"Trust me," Darryl said. "I thought the same thing when I first found out things like this existed. It still sometimes surprises me the kind of things that go on without us realizing they're happening."

Marissa collapsed onto the floor and put her head in her hands. "I can't believe this," she whispered. "This can't be happening. It can't." She groaned, rocking back and forth.

Leo looked desperately at Darryl, unsure of what to do. "I'm her grandfather!" he whispered frantically to the detective before dropping down to his knees beside the young woman. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close. "Everything's going to be okay, Marissa," he said, promising her. "We'll get everything figure out. I promise."


	4. Chapter 4

Darryl stared at his friend in shock. "Your granddaughter?"

Leo groaned, wishing Darryl had kept that exclamation to himself. He nodded as he looked up at his friend, his eyes full of pain and worry.

Marissa pulled away from Leo with a gasp. "Grandfather?" she repeated, questioning. She studied Leo carefully, his appearance being that of a man not that much older than herself. "Impossible," she whispered. She pushed herself to her feet, shaking as she stumbled toward the front door. "If the cop won't make you leave, /I'm/ leaving." She wrenched the door open and hurried out of the apartment toward the elevator.

Leo growled in frustration. "Go after her, Darryl! Please! I need to see if I can sense the ones after her!"

Darryl, understanding Leo's new protectiveness for the girl, nodded and ran out the door and caught the elevator she was in just before it closed. All his police training was paying off.

She growled and crossed her arms over her chest. "Shouldn't you be arresting the crazy man instead of following me? He's the one harassing me and trespassing!"

Darryl sighed and leaned against the opposite wall. "Honey, he wouldn't harm a fly. He's a healer, like you, only he can do it with powers instead of tools."

Marissa shook her head. "I don't believe in powers and magic."

He waited in the shadows of the lobby of the apartment building, sensing her on the elevator.

Darryl sighed. "Do you believe in miracles? Like just saving someone's life who would of otherwise died?"

"Of course I do, but miracles come from knowledge and access to life-saving machines and techniques," she replied as the doors of the elevator opened.

Darryl rubbed the back of his head as he followed her out. "Leo's powers I guess you can say are a lot like that."

"There's no such thing as magic," she insisted as she stepped into the lobby.

He grinned as he spotted her and took careful aim before pulling the trigger on his crossbow. He made sure he had hit his mark and then disappeared in a swirling mist of black light.

Marissa gasped, letting out a sound of shock as she collapsed. A black arrow was sticking out of her chest. If it had penetrated the other side of her chest, it would have pierced her heart. She would have died instantly. As it was, she was having extreme difficulty breathing.

Darryl caught her before she could fall. "Damn it!" He cursed and then yelled up towards the ceiling, since no one else was in the lobby. "Leo!"

Leo appeared seconds later, gasping as he held his own chest in response to feeling Marissa's pain. "You have to get the arrow out first! I can't touch it."

Darryl looked around the lobby. "Let's get her to the manor first. We can't risk being caught out in public."

Leo put his hand on Darryl's shoulder as the other man held his granddaughter and orbed them to the manor.

"What happened?" Piper asked as soon as they appeared.

"Dark-lighter." Was all Leo said as he helped Darryl lay Marissa on her side. Her brushed hair back from his granddaughter's face and saw that her skin was starting to turn gray.

Marissa's eyes were full of unshed tears as she struggled to breathe, looking completely frightened. "H-h-hospital..." she managed to speak in a very weak voice, wanting them to take her to the nearest hospital. She didn't think anyone would be able to do anything to save her, but she knew the hospital would be the best place to try. She wasn't aware yet that they were no longer in the lobby of her apartment building.

Darryl knelt down beside the girl, a grim look on his face. "What do I do?" he asked, looking at Leo. "Can't you just heal her like you do everyone else?"

Leo shook his head. "Not with that Dark-lighter arrow in her. It's poisonous to all Whitelighters."

Darryl looked apologetically at the young woman. "This is gonna hurt," he told her. He waited until Leo was holding her down and then grabbed the shaft of the arrow. He pulled it out as fast as he could.

Marissa screamed at the top of her lungs, her body convulsing in response to the pain, before she passed out cold.

Leo quickly set to work on healing her as Piper and Darryl headed out of the room to get rid of the arrow.

Marissa groaned softly as she began to stir around and wake up.

Piper quietly slipped into the room and handed her husband a covered tray that contained a plate of food, whispering, "She should probably eat something so she doesn't go into shock."

Leo sighed in relief and kissed his wife, showing his love and appreciation for her. "Thank you." He whispered back.

Marissa murmured, still mostly unconscious and dreaming of her grandmother. "No... please don't go, Grandma Lillian. Stay with me..." She frowned and slowly opened her eyes, not quite conscious yet as she first sees Leo. "Grandpa Leo?" she asked softly, her voice full of wonder.

Leo smiled and gently rubbed her head. "Yeah. It's me."

She looked confused as she woke up completely, gasping in shock and pulling away from him. She scooted as far back on the couch as she could, looking from him to Piper and back again before shaking her head. "No," she whispered. "This isn't possible..."

Piper sat down next to her. "Sad to say, it is." She gave the younger woman a small smile. "My first reaction was a lot like yours, except I actually tried to run out of the house."

Marissa shook her head. "You can't be my grandpa. Grandpa Leo died in the war back in the forties!"

Cole shimmered into the living room in front of them. "Leo! I've been looking everywhere for you. There's some really strange rumors going on in the Underworld about one of your charges."

Marissa screamed at the top of her lungs, jumping up from the couch and running toward what she hoped would be the front door. She screamed again when she ran straight into Phoebe, who was just coming in from work.

Poor Leo literally did a face palm into his hand and groaned. "Thanks Cole..."

Cole looked at Leo in confusion. "What did I do?"

Phoebe managed to keep a grip on the girl who had plowed into her. "Whoa, there!" She tried to give the girl an encouraging smile. "Where's the fire, honey? What's wrong?"

Marissa couldn't help the freaked out stutter in her voice as she pointed a shaking hand back towards the living room. "H-h-he ju-ju-st came out-t-t of NOWHERE!"

Phoebe glared at Cole as she guided the girl back into the living room. "What the /hell/ did you do, Cole?"

Marissa saw the man, Cole, again and immediately tried to get away again. "This is insane! How is any of this possible?!" She screamed.

Cole sighed. "I didn't know you guys had company," he told Phoebe as he stepped toward the girl. "I didn't mean to scare you."

Marissa wasn't really focusing on anything other than trying to think of reasonable explanations for what was happening to her.

Cole ignored Phoebe as he pulled the girl away from his ex-wife. "Allow me to make it up to you and explain."

Marissa hesitantly looked up at him, fear and confusion swam in her bright eyes.

"Close your eyes and trust me," he whispered as he wrapped his arms around the girl. Before any of the others could react, after the girl closed her eyes, he shimmered the two of them from the manor to his lofty penthouse apartment. He made sure his security measures were intact, no one allowed to use any form of magic to enter or leave, before he let go of her and stepped back. "Are you okay?" he asked gently.


	5. Chapter 5

Marissa opened her eyes and gasped as she stepped away. "How? How did you do that?" She asked as she looked around her, her eyes full in curiosity.

"I thought you might like to be somewhere you could think without feeling any pressure," Cole explained. He gestured around them. "The bedroom is through those doors, and the kitchen is behind you. It's fully stocked, and the bed is large and extremely comfortable. You're welcome to stay here as long as you like. No one will be able to force you to leave here. I have it protected against all forms of magic."

Marissa nodded her appreciation. "But that still doesn't anwser my question."

He chuckled. "I'm not sure you really want to hear the answer."

She crossed her arms over her chest stubbornly. "Try me." She challenged, her voice showing a bit more confidence than she felt.

"Fine." He stared at her, letting the fire come into his eyes as they changed to complete black. "I'm half demon, half human."

Marissa simply stared up at him, completely surprise, but strangely not terrified. She mentally wondered why this was and filed the thought away for later.

He grinned, bringing a fireball into the palm of his hand. "Aren't you scared?" he questioned.

Marissa had a rather curious and awe filled look in her eyes as she slowly reached out and cupped the bottom of his hand in both of hers. She now knew what it felt like for a insect to be attracted to a bright light. And also knew how warm his skin was, she slightly blushed at the latter.

He closed his hand, the fireball going out immediately and leaving behind a small black cloud of smoke. Turning his hand over, he grabbed her arm and pulled her closer toward him as he repeated his question while looking deep into her eyes. "Aren't you scared?"

She looked up at him as she shook her head. "No." She wasn't sure why, she knew she should be terrified, running and screaming, but she didn't.

He smirked. "You're scared of your own grandfather, yet you don't even flinch when you have a demon right in front of you." He looked her up and down, not hiding the lust in his eyes. "You are a strange one."

She fidgeted a little, feeling a little self-conscious as she blushed.

"What questions do you have, Marissa? I know you must be full of them." He pulled her a little closer, feeling her body brush against his own. "You have a very inquisitive... mind." He smiled a little as he looked her up and down again.

Marissa's skin flushed with pleasure at his gaze. "I... umm..." She stammered, trying to think through the clouds of desire that were suddenly flooding through her mind. "How is it possible for my grandfather to still be alive when he died in the forties?"

Cole chuckled deep in his chest. "That's because when he died, he became what is known as a whitelighter. Someone who had done so much good in their lives that they become life guardian angels, only you can physically touch them and they have a few powers of their own."

Her frown deepened. "But he said that I'm like him." She shook her head. "I'm not dead... am I?"

"You're destined to become a Whitelighter." Cole said as he raised a hand to gently run it through her hair. "You are doing some much good now in your life that you will be offered the chance to become Whitelighter and help out others even more than you are now."

She shook her head before laying her cheek over against his chest, shivering lightly in pleasure in response to his touch. "I'm just a medical student. I haven't done any good yet." She closed her eyes, thinking about the various charity works she was involved in despite her words about not doing anything good.

He chuckled again and she could feel it against her ear. "Why do I get the feeling that's not all of it?"

She shivered again in response to the sensation. "It is," she whispered, slowly wrapping her arms around his waist and closing her eyes as she leaned against him.

Cole smirked as he wrapped his own arm around her waist as he continued to run her hand through her hair.

She sighed softly as she relaxed a little further. She didn't understand it, but she felt safe here with him.

While keeping his arm around her waist, he moved his other hand to gently carress her cheek.

She tilted his head up slightly, staring up at him with confused eyes.

Cole had to slightly bite his tongue to hold back from any sounds like a moan or a growl silent.

She slowly reached up with one hand, hers trembling slightly as she touched her fingertips lightly to his cheek. "What's your name?" she asked quietly. She had heard it said in the other house, but she wanted to hear it from him.

He let out a shaky breath before answering. "Cole Turner." He had no idea why, but standing here, holding her in his arms, it just felt... right.

She gave him a small smile. "I'm Marissa Wyatt."

A smile crept across his lips at the sound of her voice, it was soft and almost had a magical affect to it that just played on his heart, something he thought he had lost a long time ago.

She frowned a little, moving her fingertips from his jaw to his lips as he smiled. "What are you thinking?" she asked quietly.

Cole was surprised to discover he was actually blushing. "Nothing you want to hear, I promise you," he replied. He pulled himself away from her with difficulty and moved toward the kitchen. "You must be hungry," he commented. "Let's go see what there is that I can fix you to eat."

Marissa felt embarrassed by her actions. She normally wouldn't do that to a complete stranger, but with Cole it just felt... so good...

Cole took her hand and pulled her into the kitchen. "Anything you want. Just name it."

"Um..." She tried to wrack her brain for something. "...Tacos?"

Cole smiled as he began pulling out the ingredients and chopping up the lettuce and tomato. "Tacos sounds delicious, but I'm not a real great cook... just a warning."

Marissa giggled at him and moved up beside him. "I'll help." She said with a small smile.

Cole raised an eyebrow in mock disbelief. "Can you cook?"

Marissa stuck out her tongue at him. "While I am a med. student, I do live in my own apartment, which means I cook for myself."

He laughed, throwing some lettuce at her.

She faked a gasp of shock. "Hey!"

He laughed some more, turning back to chopping up the vegetables. He hadn't felt so light-hearted in ages... feeling even better than he had when he and Phoebe had been together.

She stuck out her tongue at him again. Then she walked over to his fridge and started looking for some meat to cook up.

"There's hamburger meat in the bottom drawer," Cole said as he reached up into a cabinet above the stove for a bottle of oil, pouring some into a frying pan to heat up.

"Ok." She opened the bottom drawer of the fridge and pulled out the package of meat, closing the drawer and door again as she stood up.

Cole couldn't keep the smile off of his face as the two of them fell into an effortless pattern of working together.

Dinner was cooked and done before they knew it.

Cole leaned back in his chair at the table. "You're right," he said. "You're a good cook."

Marissa grinned across the table at him. "Told you."

His eyes twinkled as he studied her over the rim of his glass of wine while he took a drink. "What else are you good at?" he asked as he put the glass back on the table.

She blushed a bit before admitting. "I'm not sure... I'm a bit of a workaholic."

He leaned forward slightly. "There must be things you enjoy doing besides working..."

She blushed a bit more as she looked down at her lap.

He grinned as he leaned back again in his chair. "Red's a good color on you."

The color turned darker. "Oh, stop it."

"Why?" Cole asked. "I like that color on you."

She simply stuck out her tongue at him. Not being able to think of any kind of retort.

He chuckled, waving his hand and causing their dirty dishes and leftovers to disappear. "What would you like to do now?"

"Hm..." She pondered his question for a minute before she seemed to get an anwser. "What do you do for a living?"

"I'm an attorney," he answered as he stood up. He refilled her glass of wine before doing the same with his own and then moved into the living room to sit on the couch.

She blinked at him as she picked up her glass and followed him.

He put his wine glass on the coffee table before relaxing back against the cushions. "No snide remarks?" he questioned with a smirk.

"More... Surprised than anything." She admitted as she sat down as well.

He raised an eyebrow. "Surprised?"

"Why an attorney?"

He shrugged. "Better than politics, and those are two of the easiest ways to blend in with humans."

Marissa scrunched up her nose at 'politics'. She didn't particularlly care for them herself, so she could understand that reasoning.

"What about you?" Cole asked. "What made you decide to go into medicine?"

Marissa shrugged. "It's just always been in me to try to help people. I wanted to help others heal. I guess you could say it's in my blood to be a doctor."

He smiled a little. "You get that from your grandfather. Leo has always been a soft heart."

She gave him a curious look. "How long have you known him?"

"I've known of him since he first became a Whitelighter in 1942," Cole admitted, "but I've only known him personally for a few years."

Marissa stared in awe and whistled.

He made a face at her. "You're hanging out with an old man," he commented, teasing her.

Marisa simply smiled and shrugged.

He tilted his head to one side. "I imagine your family will be knocking on the door in the next few minutes. I know they would have been here sooner if they had been able to get here using their magic." He sighed a little. "Is there anything else you want to know before they take you away?"

Her head tilted in thought, subconsciously biting her lower lip while doing so.

He reached over and gently extracted her lip from her teeth, leaning closer to her as he did. "You're gonna hurt yourself," he whispered.

She blushed a bright red from the closeness and the feel on his skin on her lips. She had barely bit back a sweet moan that she tried not to show on her face.

There was a mischievous twinkle deep inside of his eyes as he looked into hers. "What's wrong, Marissa?"

She tried to back up a little. "N-nothing."

"No?" he inquired, leaning a little closer and barely nipping her lower lip with his teeth before moving back to his side of the couch with a chuckle. "Are you sure about that?"

Marissa turned a bit brighter in the cheeks, but still shook her head, not trusting her voice enough to speak.

Cole laughed louder. "You embarrass too easily."

An annoyed look crossed her face before stick out her tongue, again. She almost felt like a kid or a young teenager again, doing that.

Cole shook his head as he continued to laugh. "You're acting like a little girl," he commented. "Of course, compared to me, you are..." He frowned a little, glancing away.

Marissa's lips turned down slightly as concern swept into her eyes. "What's wrong?"

He shook his head. "Nothing." He stood up and moved over to stand in front of the closed glass doors that led out to the balcony, staring out over the ocean.

She stood and walked over to him before placing her hand lightly on his arm. "Cole?" She asked again.

He didn't move except to close his eyes as if savoring her touch. "Yes?" he responded quietly.

"Tell me what's wrong. Maybe I can help." She spoke softly.

He opened his mouth to respond and then sighed, leaning his forehead against the cool glass. "Your family is here to get you," he whispered two seconds before the doorbell rang.


	6. Chapter 6

Marissa frowned at Cole. "They can wait a few seconds."

He sighed. "You don't know your family very well, apparently. It's best to just deal with them." He motioned toward the door as the ringing of the doorbell got more insistent and continuous. "Go ahead. I know I can't keep you here."

She sighed. "Alright, if you insist." Then she before she could stop herself, she stood on her toes to kiss his cheek before she went to the door.

Cole smiled, touching the place she had kissed with his fingertips before cringing at the sound of his ex-wife's voice.

"What the /hell/ have you done, Cole?" Phoebe demanded. She grabbed Marissa and pushed the young woman into the hallway as she stepped into the loft apartment. "Get her home, Leo. I'll deal with Cole."

Marissa glared at the woman. "/Nothing/ happened! We simply had dinner and talked!"

"He /never/ does nothing, honey," Phoebe said gently, pushing her into Leo's arms. "Go, Leo. I'll be there soon."

Cole was still standing at the balcony doors, not bothering to move or even look in Phoebe's direction. He knew from past experience to let her shout and get everything off of her chest before he even bothered to open his mouth to say anything.

Marissa struggled the entire time Leo orbed her to the manor.

Leo looked at her with concern as they re-appeared inside the manor. "What's wrong?" he asked. "Did he hurt you?"

She glared at the far wall. "No. All we did is make tacos and talk."

"He didn't try anything?" Leo asked, unable to keep the disbelief out of his voice.

Leo nodded, relaxing a little. "I'll kill him if he ever tries anything with you that you don't want," he said, promising her.

Marissa sighed, exaggerating mock annoyance. "Yes, dad." She said jokingly. It was almost like her teenage years with her first crush/boyfriend all over again.

Leo reached out and pulled her into a hug. "I don't want anything to happen to you," he whispered against her hair.

She slowly hugged him back, still trying to get used to the idea of her grandfather, a WWII medic, was still around.

"I love you, Marissa," he whispered before letting her go.

Marissa stood on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. "Love you too, grandpa."

He beamed at those words, his eyes dancing with happiness. "I can't wait to get to know you," he said as he began to lead her around the manor to show her the various rooms. "It's going to be so great. You can move in here..." he trailed off, too excited to finish his train of thought.

Marissa couldn't help the giggle at the sight his unbound joy, it almost reminded her of a child at Christmas.

He studied her carefully. "You will move in here, won't you? So I can protect you?"

Marissa sighed. "I might as well. I don't wanna be jumped by evil spirits in the middle of the night."

"I won't let them get to you again."

Phoebe glared at Cole's back. "I swear I will vanquish you once and for all if you come anywhere near that girl again, Cole. She and Leo deserve to have time to get to know each other, and you will /not/ ruin things for them."

"Go home, Phoebe," Cole said, speaking quietly. He closed his eyes as he leaned his forehead against the glass of the sliding doors that led out onto his balcony. "You got what you came here for, so just leave."

Phoebe opened her mouth to say something else but then stopped. She narrowed her eyes as she studied her ex-husband. There was something going on. She could sense it. He was doing his best to hide something from her, but she knew she would figure out his plan eventually. "Remember my warning," she stated as she turned to head toward the elevator.

Cole growled as he reached out and grabbed Phoebe by the arm. "You just can't stand to see me happy, can you?" he questioned. "It doesn't matter if I try to be happy with you, try it on my own, or try it with someone else. You have to do everything you can to ruin it."

Phoebe's eyes widened in shock as she jerked her arm free from his grip. "What the hell gives you the right to stand there and talk to /me/ about ruining /your/ happiness?" she asked him. "Do you not remember all the hell, literally, that you put me through?" She crossed her arms over her chest. "Or has all of those /minor/ details just slipped your mind." She shook her head. "No. You're a demon, Cole. You don't give a damn about anyone but yourself, and I will not allow you to hurt anyone again... especially a member of my family."

Cole stared at her. "She's not /your/ family, Phoebe. She's Leo's grand-daughter; and, like it or not, Leo and I are still friends. If he doesn't have a problem with me getting to know Marissa, then you won't be stopping me. If he tells me to stay away from her, I will. But this is /not/ your decision. /You/ don't get to be the one who tells me to stay away."

Phoebe's right hand clenched into a fist as she fought the urge to punch Cole in the face. "You smug bastard," she stated with a snarl. "Leo might put up with you from time to time in order to be able to get useful information out of you, but there's no way he will ever allow you anywhere near his grand-daughter. And, whether it's my place or not, I /will/ vanquish you if you go near her again. She may not be family by blood, but she's still family through Leo. I won't let you hurt her the way you did me." She stepped onto the elevator and quickly closed the door between the two of them, riding the elevator down to the first floor and walking out of the building. She slid behind the wheel of her car and drove toward the manor, doing her best to calm down.

Cole sighed as he watched the elevator doors close between the two of them. He stood there for several more moments before turning back into his apartment. He looked around, suddenly realizing just how empty it was. He growled under his breath, silently cursing Phoebe's insistence on keeping him from being happy. All he wanted was someone to be able to spend time with, someone who would actually love him no matter what, and someone that he would be able to love in return.

Phoebe was grumbling under her breath as she came in through the front door.

Marissa didn't look at the woman as she came, still a little angry for yelling at Cole.

Phoebe barely glanced at them as she put her purse on the table in the entryway. "He won't bother her again. I told him that I'll vanquish his sorry ass if he even thinks about coming near her."

Marissa silently let a few cuss words fly through her head.

Leo showed Marissa to the room that would be hers. "Let me know if you need anything at all," he commented before shutting the door to give her some privacy.

Marissa laid down on her bed, under the covers. She tried to fall asleep but her mind was still wired and thinking about the half-demon.

Across town, Cole stretched out on top of his bed to try to get some sleep. Night had fallen, but he couldn't get his mind off the Whitelighter's granddaughter. He tried rolling onto his side, but it did not good. Finally, he closed his eyes and concentrated on Marissa. Moments later, he was shimmering into her room.


	7. Chapter 7

Marissa gasped as she felt someone shimmer in beside her, but let out a relieved sigh when she saw it was only Cole.

He immediately pulled her into his arms and held her tight without even thinking about it. "Are you okay?" he asked as he pressed his face into her hair.

Marissa blinked at the action but relaxed and wrapped her arms around him too and buried her face into his chest. "I'm fine." She said quietly. "I just can't seem to fall asleep."

He rubbed her back as he led her over to the bed. He pulled back the covers and helped her lay down, covering her up completely before stretching out beside her. "I'll stay here until you do."

She smiled and snuggled close to him. "Ok."

He made sure the blanket was between them and held her close so he could rub her back and hopefully help her fall asleep.

She let out a peaceful sigh and closed her eyes.

He smiled as he felt her falling asleep, closing his own eyes as he held her.

Before she completely drifted off, she kissed his cheek again before snuggling into his chest more.

He smiled as he drifted off to sleep.

Marissa woke up to sunlight filtering through her window. She barely opened her eyes, before squeezing them shit and snuggling deeper into her pillow.

He tightened his arms around her, snoring lightly as he shifted around a little.

Leo tapped on the bedroom door before opening it. "Marissa, you awake yet? I..." His voice trailed off in shock as he spotted the two of them in bed together.

Marissa and Cole kept sleeping peacefully and to Leo's fortune, both were dressed.

Leo hesitated before tapping them both on the shoulder and waiting for them to wake up.

Marissa's eyes slowly opened as she turned a little in Cole's arms, blinking to try to get used to the morning light.

Leo frowned just a little, especially when Cole's arms tightened around her without him waking up. "Piper will have breakfast ready soon," he whispered and nodded toward Cole. "I wouldn't let any of the sisters know he's here."

Marissa's brain kicked in and she looked at Cole then back to her grandfather. smiling awkwardly, she mouthed 'Thank you' to him.

Leo nodded. "Just please be careful," he begged her in a whisper. "Cole is very dangerous."

Marissa nodded. "I promise."

Leo leaned over and kissed her on the forehead. "Come down to the kitchen in about ten minutes. Breakfast will be ready by then."

She nodded. "Ok. Love you."

"I love you, too, Marissa." Leo gave her another smile and then left the bedroom.

Marissa and slowly sat up before looking down at Cole's sleeping form. Hesitantly she raised a hand and ran it through his hair.

Cole slowly opened his eyes with a smile on his face.

Marissa felt her cheeks heat up a little. "M-morning..." She whispered.

"How did you sleep?" he asked her, concern in his voice.

She smiled. "Really good. What about you?"

"Better than I have in years," he admitted.

Marissa sat up a bit and stretched her arms over her head.

He tried not to stare as the skin of her lower stomach and back were exposed as her shirt lifted with her arms, licking his lips and looking away. "I bet Piper's got a big breakfast planned out for your first morning here."

Marissa looked over to him. "She the chef of the family?" She asked curiously.

Cole nodded. "She's always dreamed of being a chef. She's run a restaurant and currently has a club that I think she may have to give up soon, but she's never been an actual professional chef."

Marissa's nose caught scent of something. It smelled really good and if she was honest, her mouth started to water a little. "I think my nose might say otherwise." She said, licking her lips.

Cole chuckled lightly. "I never said she wasn't good... just that she's never cooked professionally outside the house before." He nudged her slightly, reluctantly. "You better get going."

Marissa nodded and stood. "Yeah, I probably should." Looking into his eyes, she couldn't stop herself from leaning across the bed and kissing his forehead. She stood back up and blushed a light red before turning and leaving the room.

He smiled to himself, touching his forehead where she had kissed him as he shimmered back to his apartment.

She walked down the stairs and followed the delicious smell to the dining room.

Piper looked over as she was dishing up the plates. "Just in time," she commented with a smile. "You look like you slept well. I'm glad you're settling in."

Marissa smiled as well. "Thanks."

Leo came in a few minutes later, giving Marissa a private questioning look as he sat down with the plate Piper had given him when he walked in.

Marissa gave a confused look in return as she sat down beside him as Piper told her to.

He mouthed one word to her, wanting to know if he was still here or not. 'Cole.' He smiled as Piper joined them. "Looks great, as always."

She waited until her grandfather glanced at her again and shook her head no.

He nodded once before digging into his food.

Piper looked from Leo to Marissa and back again. "What's going on between the two of you?" she asked as she dug into her own food.

"He was asking if I had happened to happen any nightmares and I said no." Marissa lied, her voice was still even and seemed convincing enough.

Piper didn't look convinced, but she didn't press the subject. "Do you have any plans for the day, Marissa?"

Marissa shook her head. She wasn't scheduled to go into the hospital today, at least as far as she knew.

"You can always stay here and help out with the housework and keeping up with two babies," Piper offered with a chuckle. She picked up the paper and flipped it open, gauging the young woman's reaction to her next words from the corner of her eye. "Or I heard that Cole's office is looking for someone to come in and help for the day. If you've got any secretarial skills, you might check that out."


End file.
